Inside Conrad Ecklie
by spottedhorse
Summary: A look into the most hated guy at the lab. Does he really deserve it? Please don't shoot me for this one;


He stood in the hall as he watched the Night Shift Supervisor walk away. He'd used some excuse about monthly reports to make conversation with the man, trying to gage how he was doing. After all, the man had been through a lot the last year. As A.D. of the lab, Conrad Ecklie needed to know how the Supervisor was doing. Despite their years long antagonism towards one another, Ecklie had a healthy respect for the CSI. He was also a little envious.

_He waddles like a duck. If I walked like that, I'd get laughed out of the lab. But he gets away with it. I don't get it, _the AD mused

He made his way back to his own office, pondering the differences between him and Gil Grissom. _I'll have to admit, he is a lot smarter than I am. But I play the politics better. I'm better at people. _Ecklie paused to consider that point. _No…not really. I understand how to manipulate them better, but I'm not really better with them. I just play people differently. Again, the politics thing. _

Sitting behind his desk, he thought about his Night Shift Supervisor more. Remembering when he broke up Grissom's team, he shook his head. _I was being a real asshole. It's just that he's so disrespectful at times…no not disrespectful, at least not to me as a person. But to me as a CSI…as A.D? Disrespectful of the position. And he knows he's smarter than me…_ Ecklie pulled a folder out of his drawer. Opening Grissom's personnel file, he looked once again for the differences. Why was Grissom revered and Ecklie heckled?

_Maybe if I tried to be more personable? Hell, I have tried. I cut him and Sidle some slack on their relationship. Should've fired them. Should've fired Sidle a long time ago. Knew she was trouble for him. At least he finally had a relationship…no, that wasn't fair. No one knew what Grissom's private life involved; they never knew. It had only been a fluke that we found out about Sara and him. Odd though, I thought for awhile that he and Sofia…_

The phone rang, startling him out of his thoughts. "Ecklie," he said as he took the call.

A few days later, he was leaving as Grissom was coming into the lab. _What's he doing here now. It's hours before his shift? _There was a woman with Grissom that he didn't recognize. _Probably something to do with a case…_ Ecklie continued down the hall.

"Conrad…" he heard Grissom's voice from behind him.

"Ecklie stopped and turned. "Good evening, Gil."

"I'd like you to meet Laurel Forrester. Laurel, this is our Assistant Director, Conrad Ecklie."

Laurel flashed him a warm smile and Ecklie couldn't help but feel bashful. "Hello, Ms. Forrester," he said as he shook her offered hand.

"Mr. Ecklie," her smile cutting through his calloused hide and touching him.

_She's so beautiful…wonder what her connection to Gil is? She probably sees me like he does though, like everyone else. _Putting on his political self, he returned her smile"And what brings you to our lab?"

"I asked Gil for a tour. He has told me so many stories; I just wanted to get a feel for the place."

Ecklie looked from her to Gil, who was placidly watching their interaction. "Gil…has told you stories?"

"Yes, we correspond frequently and when I decided to come to Vegas for a symposium, I imposed upon him for a tour."

Gil added to Ecklie's information by adding, "Laurel is visiting us from Washington. She is a consultant to the government. We met years ago at an entomology conference."

"Entomology?" Conrad asked. "You're an entomologist?"

She chuckled as Grissom answered. "Well Conrad, not all entomologists are bearded and bespeckled like I am."

Conrad knew he was smiling too much. But she had a charm about her; he was captivated. Just then Grissom's phone rang. Answering, a frown crossed his features. Laurel continued talking to Ecklie, praising the lab. _Just small talk really,_ Conrad thought to himself. But he found he was hanging on every word.

Grissom returned to the conversation. "Laurel, I'm sorry. That was a call from a crime scene. I'm needed there. Could we possibly plan on breakfast in the morning rather than the dinner I promised you tonight?"

Ecklie saw his opening. "I'd be happy to take Ms. Forrester to dinner in your place, Gil. That is, if the lady approves of the change," he said smiling at her.

Gil shrugged and looked at his friend. She looked unsure for a moment but then graced Conrad with a wink. "Gil has told me so many stories about the lab. I'd love to have the opportunity to hear stories about him. Dinner sounds wonderful, Conrad. And please, call me Laurel."

_Great, an evening of Q&A about Grissom…. _"Great," he put on his best smile.

Dinner proved to be enjoyable, exciting, and excruciating for Conrad Ecklie. She was so intelligent, warm, and funny. He could appreciate humor in others but never seemed to be truly funny himself. It was a gift that had eluded him all of his life. But with her, the humor was contagious and he found himself throwing out quips with the finesse of a Jim Brass, without the gruffness.

He was enjoying the evening with her and what she brought out in him. This discovery of something new within himself, along with discovering her kept him excited and engaging throughout the evening. And not a political thought crossed his mind. It was pleasant to just enjoy himself without feeling he needed to manipulate. But it was excruciating also, because he knew that at moment, the real Conrad Ecklie would emerge and she'd give him the big kiss off.

_Thing is_, he thought, _I feel_ _more natural, more relaxed than I have in years. _And he was pleasantly surprised at how little they actually talked about the enigmatic Gil Grissom. She extracted all kinds of information from him, both professional and personal; things he hadn't shared with anyone in a long time.

She picked up on the fact that he was a political animal and to his surprise wasn't put off by it. "I deal with politicos everyday," she had offered in response to his apologetic explanation of the friction between him and Grissom. "We all have our place…our purpose in life. Not everyone can be the scientist that Gil is. But if pressed, even he would have to admit that in our current climate, people like you are necessary to help him make the science happen."

Conrad appreciated her perspective. "Thing is, I started out to be a scientist like him. I wanted to be 'the whiz' at forensics."

"Gil is always talking about 'the team.' Perhaps you should think of it that way too…you are a part of the team, who happens to be one of the leaders. You and Gil have different leadership roles and so find yourselves in conflict at times. But you both want what's best for the team."

"But I do think of the lab as a team…" he shared.

"But how do you think of yourself? Are you the big boss or are you just another one of the players who happens to have a leadership role?"

Conrad thought about the times when he had related to the others the best and he saw her point. "You're right. It works best when I am one of them and not setting myself apart. I just…it's just …."

"What Conrad?" she asked as her hand traveled the short distance across the table to cover his.

He looked up into her sincerely interested blue eyes and lost his heart right there. "I've always been apart…all of my life," he admitted.

"You want to know the biggest difference between you and Grissom? He has spent a lifetime apart from the crowd and doesn't care. He accepts that that's who he is and actually he prefers it that way. You, on the other hand, want desperately to be a part of the gang and it bothers you when you are not. So you bite back when you feel rejected. So the gang backs further away. Relax Conrad. Be the man I've had dinner with tonight and they will come to you."

_But…I've never been this man before,_ he wanted to say. _You're making me someone…better._

The conversation moved to lighter topics that included list of dignitaries that she spent three hours locked in an elevator with and how very common they seemed. "Not the golden boys we all think they are," she concluded.

Dinner had concluded and finally he had to admit that they should leave. He drove her to her hotel. "Shall I walk you inside?" he asked, his heart pleading for just a few more minutes with her.

"Yes, you should." Her eyes sparkled as she nailed him with them. He tossed the keys to the valet and escorted her through the doors. Turning to him, her eyes glanced to his face. "Conrad, I really am not really ready to end the evening. This place had a wonderful bar…"

"You were reading my thoughts…" he smiled.

They found a quiet table in a dark corner of the bar. Once their drinks were delivered, they sipped and continued chatting, although the tone was decidedly different. Perhaps it was because they were sitting in a bar in _her _hotel lobby, perhaps it was because this wasn't his first drink of the evening…or even his second, but Conrad wanted very much for the evening with her to turn into morning together. And looking across the table at her, he got the feeling that she felt the same way.

As they drained their glasses, she looked across at him. "Conrad this will sound cliché, but I don't often ask this. Would you like to come up with me?"

No one at the lab would have recognized the Conrad Ecklie that responded to her question. There was no arrogance or bullshit in the man that accompanied Laurel to her room and spent the night with her. Instead of the usual cold fish routine, he opened himself up and revealed the warm, vulnerable man that lived inside the hated skin. It was a side of himself that he hadn't shared with anyone since his wife had rejected him years ago. With Laurel, he found that part of himself again.

Slowly over the next few weeks and months, more and more of that Conrad Ecklie showed himself to his teammates at the lab. And more and more, he found himself being accepted into their circle. He found the greatest change in attitude was with the Graveyard shift. Even the great Gilbert Grissom seemed to soften his opinion of his boss.

And the next time Laurel Forrester came to town, Grissom's phone was not the first to ring. But she did call him. They chatted a few minutes and then she declared that she had a dinner date and needed to get ready.

"Dinner? Do I know him?" he asked curiously.

"Yes…I really enjoyed Conrad's company when I was here last time. And he has graciously invited me to dinner again."

"Well, I won't keep you then. Have a pleasant evening," he smiled into the phone.

He hung up the phone and looked across his desk at his dinner companion. "What," he ask innocently as Catherine Willows smirked at him.

"You were playing at match making, weren't you?"

He didn't answer. But his Cheshire Cat expression told her everything she needed to know.

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Okay, please don't shoot me for being nice to Conrad Ecklie. I've just always thought that beneath the jackass exterior, there was a nice guy lurking. Please review and let me know what you think.


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